John Emery (actor) explained

John Emery
Birth Date:20 May 1905
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:New York City, U.S.
Resting Place:Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
Occupation:Actor
Yearsactive:1937–1964
Spouse:

    John Emery (May 20, 1905 – November 16, 1964) was an American actor.

    Early years

    Born in New York City, Emery was the son of stage actors Edward Emery (c. 1861 – 1938) and Isabel Waldron (1871–1950). He was educated at Long Island's La Salle Military Academy.[1]

    Film

    Through the late 1930s to the early 1960s Emery appeared in supporting roles in many Hollywood films, beginning with James Whale's The Road Back (1937) and ranging from Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound to Rocketship X-M.

    Stage

    Emery appeared on Broadway in John Brown (1934), Romeo and Juliet (1934-1935), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1935), Flowers of the Forest (1935), Parnell (1935-1936), Alice Takat (1936), Sweet Aloes (1936), Hamlet (1936-1937), Antony and Cleopatra (1937), Save Me the Waltz (1938), The Unconquered (1940), Liliom (1940), Retreat to Pleasure (1940-1941), Angel Street (1941-1944), Peepshow (1944), The Relapse (1950), The Royal Family (1951), The Constant Wife (1951-1952), Anastasia (1954-1955), Hotel Paradiso (1957), and Rape of the Belt (1960).[2]

    Peepshow was the first production in which Emery and his third wife, Tamara Geva, appeared together.[3]

    Television and radio

    Emery was also known for his television work, appearing on programs like I Love Lucy and Have Gun Will Travel. In 1946 he starred in a radio program as detective Philo Vance.

    Personal life

    Emery married Patricia Calvert in 1926, ending in divorce in 1929.[4] He married Tallulah Bankhead on August 31, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama (her only marriage), divorcing on June 13, 1941, in Reno, Nevada. The two remained friendly after their marriage. In 1942, Emery married dancer Tamara Geva, divorcing in 1963.[5] Emery had started a long-term relationship with actress Joan Bennett in 1961, who cared for him through his final illness and death in 1964.[6]

    Due to their resemblance, Emery often was rumoured to be the illegitimate child of John Barrymore.[7] As a child, Emery roomed for a while with Barrymore and his first wife, Katherine Corri.[8]

    Death

    Emery died on November 16, 1964, in New York City, aged 59.[9]

    Selected filmography

    Selected television

    YearTitleRoleNotes
    1958Colgate TheatreRalph CarterSeason 1 Episode 1: "Adventures of a Model"
    1959Have Gun - Will TravelMerle CorvinSeason 2 Episode 36: "The Fifth Man"
    1961The Tom Ewell ShowJack HunterSeason 1 Episode 22: "The Old Magic"
    1961Alfred Hitchcock PresentsKerwin DrakeSeason 6 Episode 34: "Servant Problem"

    Notes and References

    1. News: John Emery of 'Angel Street' Had Cauliflower Ear. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 7, 1943. New York, Brooklyn. 29. Newspapers.com. November 13, 2015.
    2. Web site: John Emery. Playbill Vault. 14 November 2015.
    3. News: Emerys Are Together First Time on Stage in 'Peepshow'. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 30, 1944. New York, Brooklyn. 27. Newspapers.com. November 13, 2015.
    4. Book: William Brockman Bankhead. 9781634176965. Goodridge. Paul F.. 2015-04-02. Page Publishing, Incorporated .
    5. News: JOHN EMERY DIES; ACTOR 40 YEARS; Tallulah Bankhead's Former Husband—Equity Leader. The New York Times. 1964-11-17.
    6. Kellow, Brian. The Bennetts Page 406. The University Press of Kentucky (2004)
    7. Israel, Lee. Miss Tallulah Bankhead. Page 177. Putnam, 1972.
    8. John Barrymore: A Bio-Bibliography c.1995 by Martin Norden
    9. Rainho. Manny. this month in movie history. Classic Images. November 2015. 485. 32–33.